Can we go to the beach during UK lockdown?

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Which beaches have opened and how various local councils are handling social distancing

Weekends filled with sunshine are both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it brings cheer to lockdown, on the other it leaves many pining for the beach. The quaint allures of the British seaside – dripping ice cream cones, sand between the toes, the faint buzz of arcade games – remain, for most, tantalisingly out of reach.

Britons have long appreciated the benefits of a day by the coast. In Jane Austen’s final novel, Sanditon, she lays out the seaside's healing powers as perceived by Regency travellers: “The sea air and sea bathing together were nearly infallible, one or the other of them being a match for every disorder of the stomach, the lungs or the blood". The idea of the sea as a reinvigorating force endured.

The Victorians built on the Regency fixation. Their construction of pleasure piers, music halls and bathing huts (alongside the leisure time carved out in the Bank Holidays Act of 1871) helped to create the golden age of the Great British seaside. In the 20th century, the rise of mass overseas holidays contributed to the decline of many coastal towns. But now, with foreign travel halted indefinitely, our breezy beaches are calling - even more so after Boris Johnson announced the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Britons are now able to exercise as much and as far afield as they'd like, which begs the question: is a day at the beach now allowed? And if it is, what safety measures should we be following while there?

Are beaches open to the public?

Yes: most beaches in England remained open to local residents throughout the lockdown, and it is now ok to drive to any outdoor open spaces, beaches or beauty spots with members of the same household within the country, as is travelling to the countryside. This is in contrast to EU countries, such as Spain, which began closing its beaches in mid-March and has just started to reopen some of them (albeit with social distancing guidelines). Beaches are still classed as high-risk areas if they're crowded.

Brighton beach remains open to localsCredit:
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However, these rules only apply to England, as other parts of the UK have split from Boris Johnson's lockdown strategy. Scotland and Wales are still yet to loosen their lockdown to the same extent. In Scotland, people are now allowed to go outside more than once a day to exercise, but this should continue to take place close to home, either alone or with members of their household. Crucially, people are not allowed to mix with other households or relax outdoors, so sunbathing at the beach is still off-limits. Since May 28, people in Scotland have been given the go ahead to spend time in public parks.

In Wales, changes to the lockdown have also been minimal - people are now able to exercise outside more than once a day, some garden centres are reopening. In Northern Ireland, like England, people can meet up to six people outdoors, and can spend time in private gardens.

The government’s guidelines state: “When travelling to outdoor spaces, it is important that people respect the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and do not travel to different parts of the UK where it would be inconsistent with guidance or regulations issued by the relevant devolved administration.” So if you're planning a beach day, make it a stretch of sand within England.

Samantha Richardson, academy director at the National Coastal Tourism Academy, an organisation that supports coastal tourism, said that local authorities and landowners are closely monitoring the situation and may close beaches if government guidance is not being followed. Whether beaches are open or not is also up to the local council, so please check before you go as you may not be able to park anywhere if the beach is closed.

Despite the relaxing of the rules, many local MPs and tourist bodies are urging potential beach-goers to exercise caution due to the risk of crowds forming on the beach. Peter Kyle, the MP for Hove said, "I understand the temptation to come here on a sunny weekend, but if you love Brighton please give us the space we need to care for ourselves in this difficult time. Stay local, enjoy your parks and outdoor spaces."

Scarborough is our most popular seaside townCredit:
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What measures are in place to protect beach-goers?

At present, not a huge amount. It's been largely left up to visitors to follow common sense and not visit a beach if it looks crowded, and maintain a two-metre distance from other people while there. Police are still patrolling the areas, but concerns have already been raised over crowds. Barbecues on the beach are also not permitted, in a bid to discourage lingering or large groups.

A number of councils - such as Somerset - released 'please don't visit us' messaging after the lockdown was first eased, while Merseyside - which includes the beach district of Sefton - confirmed that beach car parks at Ainsdale and Southport would remain closed, along with public toilets, to ensure social distancing and the safety of staff who would be required to clean them. Luckily, it seems these fears have as yet been unfounded, as the majority of Britons have been steering clear from more popular spots.

Some beaches, like West Wittering, have opted to remain completely closed in order to protect the public from further risk of infection. In a statement, West Wittering said they were working on a plan to reopen the beach, but this would only happen when they felt it was safe to do so, stating: "The safety of our staff, visitors and local community is our priority."

"Any reopening will be gradual and phased," they added, before revealing the measures that would be put in place once the beach was reopened.

With the exception of beach pass holders, the number of cars that can park at the beach at any one time will be controlled, and visitors will need to pre-book entrance to the beach through an online system. Once parking capacity is full on the app, bookings will close, in order to preserve social distancing.

When might seasides return to normal?

Visit Britain's 2020 Tourism Forecast looks at the impact of Covid-19 on domestic tourism. The organisation suggests a scenario in which the tourism sector begins to open between June and August, following approximately 10 weeks of lockdown. The report (in which a number of assumptions are made to provide an early estimate of the impact of Covid-19) suggests that social distancing measures would remain in place when UK domestic tourism begins to start up again this summer.

It may be a while until beaches can welcome back heatwave crowdsCredit:
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Local authorities in Britain's seaside resorts emphasise the impact of the lockdown on coastal communities. The District Councils' Network has urged that district councils be included in government plans for bringing us out of lockdown.

Councillor Mark Crane, a spokesperson for the DCN, told Telegraph Travel: “Seaside towns face an unprecedented challenge. These are places dependent on seasonal demand in order to survive [...] With people rightly staying away to minimise the spread of infection, this could have a devastating impact on seaside towns that rely on the tourism industry. There’s a real risk that these places will not recover, putting huge pressure on families suffering lost income and high unemployment.”

Will seaside breaks become more expensive?

In 2019, Which? published research into the UK's best and worst seaside towns. As part of this research, nearly 100 UK coastal destinations were rated by visitors for their beach, attractions, food and drink, scenery, and value for money. Bamburgh in Northumberland received the highest overall score and the highest rating for value for money. Clacton-on-Sea, in Essex, and Bognor Regis, in Sussex, were in joint bottom place, both receiving the lowest possible rating for value for money.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, suggested there is hope of a boost in visitor numbers to coastal towns after lockdown. He said: “The good news for the British seaside is that it’s exactly where thousands of us are dreaming of getting away to as soon as lockdown ends and restrictions are eased. UK travel will almost certainly see a boom, as we’ll be able to head to Bamburgh before we can get on a plane to Barcelona.

He continued: “The bad news is that the fantastic small B&Bs many of us check in to for our UK stays may not be there by the time we are able to take a holiday; not if they don’t get some government help. More than 10,000 of the smallest UK B&Bs currently can’t access grants for small business because they pay council tax rather than business rates.

St Ives, Cornwall, one of Britain's prettiest beachesCredit:
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“Without this help, and with no future bookings, many have warned they can’t survive. From Saint Andrews to St Mawes, fewer B&Bs will mean less competition which could well mean we end up paying for our next weekend away.”

Plucky locals have already started taking advantage of the easing of restrictions to boost their businesses however. One of Brighton's nightclubs, The Arch, has taken to selling 'two beers for a fiver' from a hatch to those walking the beachfront, with music playing on speakers. Social distancing is being followed, and the drinks are takeaway only.

Will our favourite seaside towns survive?

Many coastal tourism business rely on Easter and September bookings for their annual turnover, said Richardson, from the National Coastal Tourism Academy. She added: "The effects of lockdown have already had devastating financial implications with more than half of businesses in some coastal towns expecting it to take more than six months to recover if the lockdown lasts until June [...] Consumers are keen to enjoy our beaches, harbour towns and beautiful coastal paths when the current crisis has abated and this influx will be a breath of fresh air for coastal destinations that can adapt quickly and be ready to meet consumer needs for safe destinations.”

In 2018, 35 per cent of domestic holidays in England were to the seaside, according to Visit England's last Great British Tourism Survey. Seaside resorts made up five of the top 10 cities and towns for overnight stays by Britons. Scarborough sat at second place on this list, alongside Blackpool (third), Skegness (seventh), Torbay (eighth) and Brighton (10th).

Social distancing will be in place on Spanish beachesCredit:
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In terms of overall income, these resorts have the most to lose. Yorkshire, for example, sees around seven million visitors (domestic and international) flock to the coast in a typical year. They spend in excess of £560 million.

As for losses for all UK domestic tourism, Visit Britain states: "We have forecast a central scenario of £69.5 billion in domestic tourism spend in Britain in 2020, down 24 per cent on 2019 [...] This comprises £16.7 billion from overnight tourism (down 32 per cent on the £24.7 billion seen in 2019) and £52.8 billion from day trips (down 21 per cent compared to £67 billion)."

Individual coastal resorts are eager to get back to work. James Mason, chief executive at Welcome to Yorkshire, told Telegraph Travel: “Only last month I was in the Scarborough borough meeting with businesses and local authority officials who were explaining to me the exciting plans they had for the summer season.

“I’m sure residents and traders were looking forward to the many brilliant things planned, including the Armed Forces Day National Event, which was set to be a fantastic celebration of the Yorkshire Coast. Businesses in Scarborough, Filey, Whitby, Bridlington and all the towns and villages in between will need support to get through this period, as we know that the spring and summer months cover income across the whole year. We need them all to still be in operation when the virus passes, as our Yorkshire coastal resorts are some of the most visited locations in the UK.”

How are other countries planning for beach trips post-lockdown?

European resorts that have endured strict lockdowns are also getting ready for the summer season.

Five hundred of Greece's beaches reopened on May 16, with social distancing in place, and was said to be a dress rehearsal for tourists arriving into the country, which is expected to happen from July onwards.

In Madeira, a gradual reopening began on May 9, with beaches being the first to open. Porto Santo beach opened on May 10 and all other beaches opened on May 15. Across wider Portugal, the official reopening of the country's beaches is set for June 6. Sunbathers must stay 1.5 metres apart, with umbrellas at least three metres apart.

New signs and an app will use a traffic-light system of red, yellow and green indicating which beaches are full, partly full or have few people. Paddle boats and water slides will be prohibited.

Meanwhile, in Cyprus' famously boisterous beach resort, Ayia Napa, a number of measures are being considered to protect tourists, including asking holidaymakers to take a COVID-19 test prior to their arrival.